Opioid, Fentanyl Poisonings On The Rise In Pierce County

TACOMA, WA — The Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department is expressing concern after seeing a local surge in opioid poisonings.

The health department says Pierce County already saw 55 deadly opioid poisonings between January and June of this year — a concerning increase in drug fatalities, which they blame partially on fentanyl infiltrating the street-level opioid drug supply.

"As illegal drugs are not regulated, people who buy and sell them at the street-level often don’t know the content of their product," wrote Pierce County Opioid Task Force Coordinator Chelsea Amato. "They think they are buying one substance and end up with another, potentially more dangerous product."

As the health department explains, fentanyl is between 80 and 100 times stronger than morphine. Often, users cannot tell the difference between Fentanyl and other opioids, as the pills smell and taste the same, and are usually pressed to look like other prescription opioid medications. That said, the State Department of Health says it has received several reports of fentanyl sold as blue pills marked with “M” and “30”, which they have linked to a statewide increase in overdose rates.

Related: Washington Overdose Deaths Are Nearing Record Levels This Year

The state reported 418 overdose deaths in the first three months of 2021 alone, 46 percent of which were linked to fentanyl. That's a significant jump, and is mirrored by the local increase in fentanyl overdoses: With 55 fentanyl-related poisonings in the first half of 2021, the county is on track to push past last year's high of 95 fentanyl deaths. And both of those numbers are higher than just two years ago, when Pierce County saw just 40 fentanyl related deaths.

The health department does note that these deaths include both medical and non-medical fentanyl use, and includes cases where fentanyl was the primary cause of death, and cases where it was just a contributing factor or where traces of fentanyl were present.

Amato also said that the pandemic and social unrest may be one reason opioid poisonings have increased:

"People can use opioids for multiple reasons. Some are prescribed for medical purposes, while others use it to cope with different stressors (trauma, depression and anxiety, etc.). Recent events (the current COVID-19 pandemic, and racial strife) have also contributed to the increase in opioid use.

Still, both the state and local health department both say the increase is worrying, and are offering these tips to help prevent deadly opioid poisonings:

• Carry naloxone if you or a loved one are using opioids. Naloxone, commonly sold as Narcan, is an effective opioid poisoning reversal medication. Narcan can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription, and is often offered for free at community-based organizations. The DOH recommends carrying at least two doses.
• Test suspicious pills for fentanyl. The Tacoma Needle Exchange offers free fentanyl testing strips.
• Know the signs of overdose. They include blue, or ashy white lips, blue fingernails, struggling to breathe or no breathing, and being unresponsive to external stimuli.
• Consider addiction treatment. The Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department says medication for opioid use disorder like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are often covered by insurance and offered by community-based settings, and can help long-term recovery.

The health department says it is also working on an overdose awareness campaign for later this month, as well as a Drug Poisoning and Unusual Reactions Response (DPURR) task force to better address the rise in fentanyl poisonings.

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Washington Overdose Deaths Are Nearing Record Levels This Year

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